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ANCAP announces stricter safety requirements for 2017

By Tim Beissmann
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The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has updated its Rating Road Map, revealing its more stringent vehicle safety rating requirements for 2017.

Following extensive consultation with its stakeholders and leading Australian and New Zealand automotive industry groups, ANCAP’s new safety standards place increased pressure on the least-safe vehicles on our roads, including those with one-, two- and three-star ratings.

From 2017, top-tether anchorages for child restraints will be mandatory in all light commercial vehicles, and front-row seatbelt reminders will be required for one-, two- and three-star-rated passenger vehicles.

Three-star vehicles will need to achieve a minimum score in the new roof strength test, while one- and two-star vehicles will also be required to meet minimum standards in pedestrian safety and whiplash protection tests.

By 2017, the number of safety assist technologies (SATs) fitted to vehicles will increase to a minimum of two SATs for one-star cars, three for two stars, four for three stars, and five for four-star cars. The new standard means the one-star cars of 2017 will be required to feature as many SATs as today’s five-star cars.

ANCAP has approved a long list of SATs including features like adaptive cruise control, automatic headlights, daytime running lights, lane support systems and crash avoidance programs.

As reported last week, vehicles equipped with autonomous emergency braking systems and ‘flat front vehicles’ will be permitted to meet one grade less than specified in the pedestrian protection component from 2017.

ANCAP has also clarified its definition of a ‘new model’; an important distinction when determining which Road Map year a vehicle is to be assessed under.

ANCAP Chair Lauchlan McIntosh said it was important for the Road Map requirements to match the pace of development of life-saving safety technologies in new vehicles.

“Our members, stakeholders and industry were instrumental in developing the Road Map blueprint last year, and through a collegiate approach we have once again put together a practical plan which will benefit manufacturers and consumers alike in reaching for higher levels of vehicle safety,” McIntosh said.

“Vehicle safety is a crucial element in reducing the unnecessary loss of life on our roads, and with a combined road toll of 1600 across Australia and New Zealand last year, we mustn’t become complacent.”

  • SM

    Great news…. and its only taken 4 Great Walls and 5 Mahindras and a few Cherrys for good measure for some one within ANCAP to realise what we all have been saying for goodness knows how long. That the current system needs redress and an overhaul in order to bring the 2, 3 and 4 star cars more into line with what should be a minimum standard.

    • Paul

      Good comment I’d love to see more pressure on those cheap cars from china.

  • save it for the track

    SAT’s.  Auto headlamps? it gets dark turn your headlights on. DRL’s? Have a dark car (or even not) drive during the day with your low beam headlights on. I’d rather look at how a vehicle actually protects me and my passengers in the event that the vehicle is in a collision, than having ‘features’ aimed at the lowest common denominator morons that don’t know how to exercise commonsense. I can see the addition of these extra ‘hoops’ to gain a five star rating will further dilute which car is actually the safest for its occupants. There are already vehicles that are ‘only 4 star’ simply because they are missing an annoying chime or two. How a vehicle scores in the actual impact and pole tests is what I look at, not how many “SAT’s” it may have. I am quite capable of using my headlights as and when needed, and ensuring that my passengers are wearing their seatbelts, I also know how to manage and check the ‘blindspots’ in any vehicle I drive. The addition of so many SAT’s will only add to the lazy an inept attitude of all too many driver’s that already infest our roads. What happens when the ‘blindspot monitor’ has a failure? (dead motorcyclist, collision with another vehicle?) People should be taught threshold braking, and actually do a full on emergency stop in a vehicle with ABS, so they know that the pulsing and shuddering through the pedal is normal. Driving instructors should teach these things off their own bat without it having to be mandated in a driving test.

    • SM

      “save it” you are right on the money. The ‘star(s)’ should be directly related to the overall strength and structural integrity of the car and not how many chimes it has.

    • falcodore

      You sir, get my nomination for COTY (Comment Of The Year)

  • O123

    Just abolish ANCAP and use the Euro rating, Needless duplication and added costs.

  • TG

    2017? I guess at least it’s not as long a period as it took for this country to adopt ISOFIX (14 years, if I’m correct).

  • ABCDEFG

    From the 3rd picture above, the Aurion (Camry) ‘s A pillar clearly buckled. Just enough to hold on for that crash test. Any higher speed and that A pillar will fold and the whole cabin will collapse.

    • bungel

      should have gone to specsavers.

  • JamesB

    All these increases in passive and active safety would be useless if driver IQ in Australia remains low. Driver aids won’t necessarily steer a dumb@ss from danger. Even those park assistance features are doing what a human should be able to do in the first place. We should not take them for granted. Driving is a privilege and unfortunately, many of us are abusing it and involve innocent others in accidents which could oftentimes be fatal. I’m quite sure hardly anyone knows how to work the ABS, so until training for such preventive measures becomes mandatory, the feature isn’t of any benefit.